29 September 2011

*Peeks out from behind the couch* Psst, I'm over here reader. I don't want to alarm you but I'm hiding because I've heard some violent youths are about to turn up! Apparently they come from Stockport so they're probably dead handy in a fight and...hang on sorry that's my phone...ah right I see....emm this is embarrassing, it would appear that I misheard, today's band are VIOLET YOUTH, not violent - better cancel that police panic alarm request!

With the threat of ASBO's averted, Violet Youth can get on with what they hope to do best, making records of the wax variety rather than the criminal. Having recently expanded to a five piece, by welcoming a keyboard player into the fold, the Cheshire/Greater Manchester* group returned to the studio earlier this month to work on a number of new tracks. Provisionally titled 'The Pursuit Of Young Love EP' this material will be their first official release since August 2010's 'Carla'sSong' single. So what can you expect to hear? Well while the band accurately liken their sound to Carter USM, it's also hard not to draw comparisons with some of their north west bred predecessors. The previously mentioned 'Carla's Song' has the melodic sweetness of The High, and vocalist Andrew Schofield would surely make John Cooper Clarke proud with the way he spits out a fantastically succinct assessment of Hugh Grant's acting versatility. 'Delays' appeal meanwhile lies in it's hunger; it may not be the most complex track you'll ever hear but that matters little as it exudes a D.I.Y punk rock attitude and a verve reminiscent of The Buzzcocks or The Fall. The only issue that may lie ahead? Motivation; Violet Youth have already played live at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium, and as any sane individual knows you'll never top that!

22 September 2011

An excitable school teacher once told me that the World Wide Web would some day enable ordinary people to achieve incredible things - he was right, because one time I used ALL my letters on Scrabulous, and even better than that, there was this other day where I very nearly had a Facebook friend request accepted!! Though most of us are happy to pass our online hours getting death threats on YouTube or debating the constitution of Jaffa Cakes, it transpires that some people actually do put the information super tarmac road thingy to good use - like INTERNET FOREVER for example - who'd have thought it!

It was a friendship forged on a well known website's messageboard that encouraged Craig Heartbeeps and Laura Wolf to explore the possibility of working together on a musical collaboration. The outcome of their pooled ideas was 2009's 'Cover The Walls', two and a bit minutes of raucous indie pop, where sweetly bobbing melodies were off set by distorted guitar riffs, a pounding drum beat and a chanted chorus; think Sleigh Bells for the home counties. Now expanded to a three piece, thanks to the addition of Chris Alcxxk, the band are on the verge of releasing their debut album, and have previewed it with a re-recorded version of another early composition 'BreakBones'. The ethos remains the same but the track benefits greatly from its new smoother edges; a skipping rhyme chorus and kick drum spine teaming up to create an infectious spirit akin to that Tilly And The Wall wowed with on 'BeatControl'. It's a promising pointer, and If Internet Forever have more of the same to follow then it could be they who are the talk of the web for the foreseeable future.

20 September 2011

The puns just keep on coming - although essentially this is just the same one as yesterday repackaged *hope I don't get sussed face*

Picking up from last night, here's what the rest of our Founders have got on offer for you.

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Where to start? THE SHUTES I think﻿. We have two offerings from them. First is this home shot video for new track '3 Oh 1';Sounds a bit like Albert Hammond Jr I think, which wont get any complaints from me.

News from two more bands now. WASKERLEY WAY﻿ will be putting out a seven song strong EP entitled 'La Magie Rouge'. Not entirely sure as to when that will be, so you'll have to keep your eyes peeled. Elsewhere SLEEPY PANDA CLUB have got a new single all set to go. The track is called 'Ghost In The Mirror', and having heard it for the first time on the radio last night I can promise you that it's a winner (in fact whisper it but it sounds a lot like Sad Day For Puppets!).

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Back to the music and how about a new one from POLYGON PALACE? Here you go then, enjoy it, I know I did.

Another album has been confirmed as being on the way and this time it's fromSPOTLIGHT KID﻿. The record will be called 'Disaster Tourist' and you'll be able to get it online from October the 17th. For now though make yourself excited by listening to new single 'Forget Yourself In Me'.

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DIMBLEBY AND CAPPER continues to enrapture me more and more with each passing day. Following on from the live performance of 'Educated' that got me excited two weeks ago, check out this brilliantly barmy performance of new song 'Loco Lover', star quality if ever I saw it.

Seeing as we're on the subject of live performances. I thought we'd finish with this from DISCOPOLIS. A great set closing rendition of 'When Ghosts Get Angry'. Going off this evidence they look a must to catch live.

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Phew that was a long one, I'll need a sleep now. See you Thursday for someone new.

19 September 2011

Now what I've done here is take the 'R' away from round and replace it with an 'F' to make found, which is a play on words because of the blog name 'The Found of Confusion' you see, you see!! It took me two hours to think up that! Ok you do better then! lets just get on with it:

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Albums Out Now

Lanterns On The Lake - Gracious Tide, Take Me HomeLaszlo - Radial NerveSecret Rivals - Make Do And MendPandas And People* - Grab EverythingBlu* - No York

* No official release date but streaming online now - see Bite Back Pt 1 to hear Pandas and People.

15 September 2011

What's that sorry? I didn't catch...Pardon??....ah ok...err no can't quite hear that, let me just adjust my..what you saying?? Yeah yeah I know sorry, an utterly predictable deaf 'gag', but what can I say it was too good a - Pardon?? - ha got you with that last one didn't I!

We can only hope that there are no hearing impediment issues affecting the members of DEAF CLUB, because it would be a crying shame if they were unable to fully enjoy the fruits of their collective labour. The three, four or possibly five strong group are, as you can see, fairly frugal when it comes to information about the line up composition, but at their core is Polly Mackey, a songwriter from Wrexham who received much positive attention last year when playing as part of The Pleasure Principle. While it appears that project may now have bitten the dust, long term supporters shouldn't fret as there's plenty in Death Club's debut 'Lull EP' for you to get excited about. On the brooding 'Hana', Mackey has the air of a slightly more finessed PJ Harvey and that track sets a standard that never dips throughout the EP, be it on the edgy post punk of 'It, She', the wide screen, Beach House mirroring outro of 'Forest/Shore', or the seven and a bit minutes of the Holly Miranda styled 'Postcard'. Self contained one minute, expansive the next - prick up your ears 'found' fans, you'll be be hearing more from this lot.

8 September 2011

Are you an aspiring musician looking for a leg up in this cuttiest of cut throat industries? Then get your listening ears on (now take them off and put on your reading eyes) as here's the official step by step guide of how to get your music on display here at the The Found Of Confusion.

Step One - pick a band name that has a vague connection to my favourite football club.

And basically that's it! Expect to be reading gushing reviews of 'Quinn's Discopants'; 'The Balti Pie Experience' and' Elvis's High Flying Birds' in the weeks to come! It does also help though if you know how to put a song together; London's CITIZENS definitely do - well done gents, both bases covered.

The quartet are back with new material, twelve months on from when they first made their presence known with a video for the hugely promising demo 'Avalanches'. Driven on by a pummeling drum beat, which ably set off a pensive vocal (akin to Thirteen Senses), the track built up it's rhythmic layers before riding out on a groove that they must have pinched when The Music had their back turned. Now two further tracks have been circulated for public consumption and neither disappoints. Echoes takes a lead from it's predecessor,starting earnestly then graduallyevolving to a cadenced conclusion, while Turns Gold, with it's Pure Reason Revolution-esquemoody synths and pleading chorus, has obvious radio playlist potential. An additional demo Meridian waits ready in the wings to be next up and, much like the tracks themselves, there's a sense that Citizens are steadily building up to something special arriving around the corner.

4 September 2011

Listen up MTV this is what you should be showing!! Get on this selection of new videos from some Found Of Confusion favourites:

April founder DIMBLEBY AND CAPPER recently popped into the Amazing Radio building for a live studio session, the highlight of which was this cracking rendition of future single Educated.

Also back with a great new single are MAUSI. You can download, the oh so summery, sol.for free from their websitehere-and spend the rest of the day doing a 'dance, dance, dance'

It's now just a couple of weeks til' LANTERNS ON THE LAKE release their debut LP and following on from 'You're Almost There' (video here) they've been good enough to share a second track, 'Keep On Trying'

Finally BLU is now streaming his No York record in it's entirety via YouTube. If you like your Hip-Hop to be party anthems and pointless posturing then it's not for you, but if experimental beats and clever lyricism are your thing then you'll lap it up!

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Plenty for you to enjoy there so as Buggs Bunny would doubtless say 'that's all folks'.

1 September 2011

It's that frightening time of year when an accidental wrong turn into the centre of Edinburgh will inevitably result in the luckless victim being accosted by a maraca wielding Chilean dance troupe, patted on the head by C3PO on stilts, or co-opted into a guerrilla street performance about....well more than likely guerrillas. As a place that prides itself on its links to the arts, it has to irk Scotland's capital a little to have spent so long stuck firmly in the music making shadow of its rowdy, Glaswegian cousin along the M8 - that though could be about to change!

DISCOPOLIS are three like minded nineteen year olds from the east coast city, whose star is ascending as rapidly as the fireworks that will criss-cross the sky above their castle esplanade this weekend. Having formed last year, the band only played live for the first time a matter of months ago, yet they now have both a T In The Park and Readingfestival performance tucked safely away in their back pockets. On top of that, their aptly titled debut single 'Lofty Ambitions', has been championed by a clutch of respected Radio One DJ's - plus Fearne Cotton too. Worth the hype? Well going off their Soundcloud demos it's a resounding yes! 'Bitches All Over Europe' (must be dog lovers, that'll play well with the public!) is like the swaggering offspring of The Chemical Brothers'Star Guitar', while 'We Should Have Been Born In Canada' pulses with positive vibes and exudes the Balearic beach bliss of Delorean. For pure limb loosening euphoria look no further than the magnificent 'Weekends Burning', its kinetic drum loops and cascading synth sequences setting it up as the natural heir apparent to Delphic's epic Acolyte centerpiece. Nothing else needs to be said, the tracks speak for themselves; Well done Edinburgh, you took your time but hasn't it been worth the wait!

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What's It All About??

In late 2010 Kevin Wright of the now defunct Sound Of Confusion radio show (but ever growing Sound Of Confusion blog!) gave me a challenge - to bring him one band a week that he'd never heard of. These blogs are the results of my search.....and anything else I feel like! (See 'And So It Begins' for further info)